Lynette Richards

Call Me Bill Lynette Richards

A gorgeously illustrated historical graphic novel based on a real person who, defying gender expectations, left home in search of adventure and a more authentic life.

It was April 1, 1873. In the middle of the night, Sarah Jane spotted flares off the coast of her island home. She woke her father, who quickly gathered their neighbours. Over the next several hours, rescuers pulled 429 traumatized survivors out of the wreckage of the SS Atlantic. But 535 people didn't survive, including Bill, a sailor.

However, this story isn't about death--it's about living. Swapping out their dress for a pair of pants, Bill had run away from New Jersey in search of adventure, anonymity, and a place in the world. When they were hired to work on a cargo steamer, everything seemed to fall into place--but it didn't take long for Bill to realize they were really just searching for a place where they could be themselves.

In Call Me Bill, debut graphic novelist Lynette Richards uncovers the remarkable life story of a tenacious adventurer. Set against the backdrop of the worst maritime disaster before the Titanic, this story explores identity, courage, and the radical imagination of someone who took huge risks to live an authentic life that others would have had difficulty imagining.